The Little Soldier
by Xx Kiamii xX
Summary: Pr-Stormbreaker and Short story. 4-year-old Alex Rider is lost somewhere in Wales and one unit just so happens to find him. The question is; How do they get him back to where he belongs?  No relation to Muddled Tears or any of my stories.
1. Chapter 1

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

**Summary: 4-year-old Alex Rider is lost somewhere in Wales, England and one unit just so happens to find him. Mini-story. Pre-Stormbreaker. No relation to Muddled Tears or any of my stories except maybe the names.**

**Part I**

"Uncle Ian!" called a small voice. 25-year-old Wolf paused and gestured to his closest teammate -Fox- to come closer. The two young men looked at eachother before Fox nodded and silently went to fetch Eagle and Snake who were a little ways behind. Clad in army wear and guns, they made an impressive sight but as Wolf found the source of the call, the man was pretty sure it would be intimidating as he found himself face to face with a bruised and scratched up little boy sitting on a rock, his brown eyes wide and gazing around the creek area with wonder. His blond hair was caked with dirt and mud, making it a dirty brownish color.

The SAS soldier warily crept over to the child, unsure of what to do. They were in the middle of nowhere for this camping exercise and he did not expect a little boy in their midst of all things. While thinking, his heavy army boots crunched a twig, causing the child's head to swivel around to see who was there. The little boy -for Wolf was pretty sure the child was a male- gasped and scrambled to stand up, crying in pain before falling back to the floor. Wolf could now see that the kid had hurt his foot and there was a large cut along his knee. He crouched down to the boy's height a little ways from the young one.

"Who're you?" the boy asked quietly to Wolf's surprise. His voice was softer than before and almost shyly. He offered up a rare awkward smile, something he didn't do too often especially at his training camp.

"I'm Wolf. What's your name kid?" he said in as gentle a tone as he could. The boy seemed to warm up a little to him, still not moving though that was expected considering his ankle. He shifted where he was and gave a timid and warily look to Wolf.

"Alex. I can't find my uncle." the boy said. Alex looked at Wolf again before smiling shyly this time to Wolf's amusement. Wolf offered to carry Alex and help him find his uncle to which Alex accepted the help. The miracles of children and their willingness to comply. Wolf stood back up and slowly picked the boy up, settling him on his hip like he did with his nephews. Alex seemed lighter than his 6-year-old twin nephews though so maybe the kid was younger? After asking Alex how old he was, he found the boy to be four years old to be exact and his Uncle -after prodding- had been on vacation with him when he dissappeared, telling Alex to stay hidden but then a day had gone by and Alex was still there so he had decided to go look for his uncle. Now that Wolf noticed it Alex had a dark stain on his pants as well as many cuts that he hadn't noticed before. Hopefully Snake had their first aid kit stocked. Speaking of which...

Wolf came into the clearing where his unit was getting raid to join him in back up but they all stopped in shock as they saw him entering the area carrying a small child on his hip. The K-Unit leader smirked at their gobsmacked expressions before barking at them to close their mouths. They did so with audible snaps before Snake inquired. Wolf, after glancing at Alex, informed them of the lost boy's dilemna and asked Snake to look the boy over. After handing Alex over to the medic, he set about looking for something to eat.

"So you don't know where your uncle is?" Snake asked kindly as he gently removed Alex's shirt for him. The little boy nodded, sniffling, before he watched as Snake applied the burning stuff his uncle put on him when he got hurt. He bit his lip at the sting but did his best to remain quiet. After much sniffles and whimpers, Alex was fully patched up and semi-cleaned. Snake had given Alex one of their spare jackets which absolutely swarmed the boy but would also work as a blanket for the kid at least. They were a three day hike from the camp as part of their training and with a little boy suddenly with them, they realized they needed to work harder. While Wolf didn't like kids, he had a soft spot for them especially when they were in need of help. It was mostly teenagers and kids older than eight. That's when they all turned bratty and downright obnoxious.

Seeing the sun set the soldiers set about getting a fire going while Eagle proceeded to keep Alex entertained. At least by the time Fox had acquired a meager meal for them, Eagle had Alex giggling and playing in no time, though it looked like the kid wouldn't be able to walk with his ankle sprained according to Snake's analysis.

Alex yawned as he was set down in Eagle's lap and given a portion of his own meal which he was unaware was bigger than theirs seeing as they would rather not starve the little boy who apparently had been stranded for over a day and a half. Nibbling on the berries, Alex babbled to Eagle about something his uncle had showed him earlier. What caught their attention was the fact that Alex was talking about how his uncle never was around and would leave him by himself to go to his karate lessons quite often. Apparently Ian did this as early as when Alex was three and sometimes the boy would go days without anyone knowing he was home alone.

"I learned how to make a sandwhich!" Alex said proudly.

"Oh?" Eagle said, hiding his own annoyance at the boy's uncle, "Is that all you could make?" Alex shook his head and listed off the many foods he could now do thanks to having to take care of himself. It reminded Eagle of that one movie, Matilda, that his little sister had watched when they were younger. What kind of person would leave their nephew or any child for that matter, all alone. Wolf sighed and promised if he ever met that uncle he'd maim him. With that in mind he helped the boy settle before watching as the kid fell asleep easily. The kid made him feel uneasy but the confusing part was Wolf found the kid to not be as annoying as his nephews or most other kids. Alex seemed quiet and obediant at the very least.

"How are we going to find his neglective uncle?" Fox asked with a raised eyebrow.

**Author's Note: Just for Fun. Might update soon. Dunno. Do you like it enough? Yes this is an actual little Alex. He's calm like that considering he IS Alex Rider and the nephew to Ian. Don't correct me. This is just to amuse me until I finish writing Muddled Tears. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Little Soldier**

**By Kiamii**

"We head back to camp," Wolf said firmly. He then proceeded to draw out a strategy in which they would be able to complete the exercise and get the civilian boy back to his uncle, though the last part was somewhat reluctant to return the quiet child to the man who neglected him so much. Glancing at the sleeping boy lying next to their sitting spots every now and then, they figured out rations and pathways that they revised with the mind that a child was now with them. They surprisingly didn't mind this. Perhaps it was because the other units weren't around to witness this? Or perhaps because Alex was so young and wasn't at fault for being there.

The soldiers retired to bed soon enough with Alex deeply lost in his own dreams, curled up beside Snake who kept an arm around the boy protectively. Sleep didn't come easily for him so he had volunteered to keep watch tonight instead of letting Eagle.

Snake was a man of honor and he had never, even in his wildest dreams, imagined finding a child while training at the SAS camp –more specifically, the wilderness—looking for his neglecting uncle. He brushed a stray lock of the dirty hair from the child's face and studied him for a second. Alex was different than even his cousins whom he babysat for, or his sister's daughter. They were loud and moved a lot even in sleep. Alex remained peacefully quiet and still.

It was unreal.

Could it have been the fault of the boy's uncle? Snake wondered about this and mused for hours into the night. His army boots scuffed into the moist dirt as he poked the fire with a stick absently, his eyes drifting towards the boy who slept next to him. He remembered how he currently had status of an uncle to a little girl, but he couldn't imagine leaving his niece all alone in the wilderness for anything, especially at Alex's age. His mind churned unpleasantly until he was relieved of his shift by Fox. He stood up and yawned, carefully lifting Alex up and handing him to Fox before retiring to bed himself.

As the morning sun rose from the horizon, Alex began to stir awake to Fox's surprise. He had expected the young lad to remain asleep until noon like most, but he had woken up without any help. He shifted the boy he was holding and watched as the kid awoke.

"Morning there Alex," he said in a chirpy manner. Amongst the four soldiers in the unit, he was the morning sort of person while Wolf and Eagle hated rising earlier than needed. Snake tended to get up sometime after Fox, but he was asleep now.

Alex looked at him sleepily, looking confused as to where he was before reality came back to him. He smiled shyly at Fox and wriggled around until he was set on the soft earthly ground.

"You hungry kid?" Fox inquired to which he got a small nod in return. Grinning, the soldier set about getting breakfast served to the child, finding it amazing as Alex sat still and merely watched him in fascination. When questioned about this, the boy blushed and mumbled his answer.

Apparently that damn uncle of his had once showed Alex how to cook on a fire and this had been during their vacation that he was now lost on. The more Fox heard about this Ian guy, the more he disliked him and how he was raising his uncle. He didn't even have kids and he was willing to say he could do a better job!

Fox served the orphaned boy and watched him politely eat. He smiled a little before prodding the boy to eat as messy as he'd like. Alex had looked at him in awe upon those words, making him feel slightly uneasy. After finding out the reason why, he sighed heavily. That uncle apparently was more into beating Alex into some sort of…

Soldier.

The words hit Fox for a second before he could comprehend the word. It did fit in his mind. Alex was expected to survive when on his own. Fox peered at the shy boy in a new light. He couldn't believe he had thought this but the way Alex was already behaving it was as if he was a part of their team, just inexperienced and a child prevented him from probably being here now. He was a child and that was the problem.

"Hey Alex," he began, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This got the boy's attention who peaked at him in surprise before smiling widely as if telling a secret. Which –Fox mused—he probably was. The thought wasn't pleasing whatsoever and Fox pushed the thought aside as best as he can.

"I wanna be a police man and stuff." He giggled, "To catch the bad guys!" Fox smiled at the innocent words though he frowned as Alex began to chatter about having to keep it a secret since when his uncle Ian had found it, Ian had been amendment about Alex being a police officer for some reason. Alex suspected that his uncle wanted him to be a banker like him, to the five year old's horror. Fox did chuckle at the boy's reaction to what he thought his uncle wanted him to be, though the banker part had him curious. What kind of man was this guy? He didn't question Alex any further and let the boy talk as much as he wished, finding it amusing as Alex didn't talk about anything and everything, he talked about one topic and switched when he felt he was done. Fox was learning a lot about the lad as the minutes and hours ticked by before Wolf began to stir awake. He was greeted to the sight of Fox holding Alex on his lap, trying to show him a magic trick apparently which was failing horridly. Smirking, the soldier stood up silently and swiftly walked over to them, leaning by Fox's ear and whispering in his dark voice, "Remind me to never let you become a spy. You suck at subtle tricks and hearing."

Fox jumped as if electrocuted to Wolf's amusement, yelping loudly enough to snap Eagle awake as he stood up, holding Alex in his arms who was giggling at the action. Wolf leaned over and lightly tapped Alex on the head, causing the boy to giggle even more so. Wolf shook his head, a smile quirking on his lips slightly before he turned to Fox, his smirk pronounced once more at his teammate's scowl. He shrugged and went to kick Eagle the rest of the way into the land of the living while Snake began to wake up as well, tired but awake. The soldiers packed up their supplies while Alex watched quietly, making a few comments here and there about how Eagle wasn't doing something right, to the other three men's amusement as Eagle muttered about "ruddy brats" and their "know-it-all selves". Eventually they were ready to head towards their destination and with Alex perched on Eagle's hip this time, his foot wrapped neatly in a wrap for the time being, the unit set out among the rising sun, hoping to make it to their campsite early.

**Author's Note: That's it for this chapter. I was surprised people were even interested in this story. I'll update every now and then, got Exams coming up and a lot of other things of course. This isn't my main priority unless the reviews for it are a lot which means I'll have to update before I get reviewers trying to throw darts (or monkeys *cough*) at me again. Review and tell me what you think then? Like it? Love it? Meh it?**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

**Author's Note Early: Before you read this go vote on my poll on my page. It'll help me determine the next series of stories I am about to start writing that could be written in any view I see fit that will still remain original at the very least. What can I say? I'm full of nonstop ideas. Lol. Enjoy the chapter now.**

Grunt.

Now, normally that isn't a very pleasant sound to hear whatsoever. In fact, the word can just disgust every fiber of your body, but that all depends on what you actually heard. For Alex Rider, he used the world entirely reserved for Wolf. The man grunted his words in his opinion, well to the other grown ups at the very least (specifically the guy with the bird name). Wolf was nice to him so Alex wasn't too concerned with him grounding his words out like that weird man Uncle Ian introduced him to the other day. He merely allowed the soldiers to carry him (protesting every now and then saying that he was completely fine but otherwise failed to be able to prove this) as they trudged on towards their camp where Alex hoped his uncle was located at.

To pass the time, one of the soldiers had started up a game of "I spy" to Alex's delight as he participated and promptly won three games in a row happily. That in itself was pretty impressive and they had great fun for once in playing the game. Alex's happy and proud laughs made them constantly smile, though Wolf looked more amused than actually downright grinning like Eagle was currently.

"I spy with my little eye... something... blue." Snake said with a grin while the others took random guesses until finally -

"Wolf's undies?" came little Alex's reply and Wolf spluttered his denial as Snake made a popping noise and winked, "Bingo!" which caused Fox and Eagle to erupt in laughter. Even Alex was giggling while Wolf turned beat red and stalked ahead of them, muttering profanity that safely did not reach the four year old's ears. Snake smirked at his teammate before turning back to young Alex who was now immersed with looking around him at the hustle and bustle that was nature. He watched the boy for a second before continued their hike. Eagle was in the middle carrying Alex and chattering to Fox about something or another but Alex was not paying attention. Peaking over Eagle's soldier, he let out a squeak of surprise when he saw something move, causing Eagle to halt in his walking.

"What's wrong kid?" Eagle asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"There's something out there," Alex said in a small voice, peering around to see if he could spot the source of his attention but couldn't see anything until he heard shouting and turned to see Wolf yelling, pulling out a gun as someone began to hurl bullets over his head. Alex nearly screamed as Eagle ducked to the ground, crashing Alex on the floor. Momentarily disorientated, Alex could only hear as the soldiers prepared their ammo and started shooting back while Eagle fought to keep Alex covered. Whoever it was seemed to be only trying to impair the soldiers instead of kill it seemed as they shot. Alex whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut. Where was his Uncle Ian?

He remembered the first time his uncle had left him alone. He had been three years old and attached to his uncle like glue. Ian wasn't the ideal uncle though, yet Alex didn't care. The man flinched when he called him anything other than Ian, expected nothing less than perfect from his nephew and he had a knack for knowing things that Alex suspected a banker shouldn't really know. Ian reminded Alex of a guy who wouldn't sit in a stuffy desk all day and he never got to have one of those take your kid to work day, to Alex's disappointment. Even at four years old now the little boy knew his uncle seemed to value work much more than he cared for his nephew.

He had begged his uncle to take him on a camping trip a year ago and it wasn't until two days ago that his uncle had finally relented. That's how he ended up here in Wales. How he had been asleep and woke to find his uncle stiffening and barking at him to stay there and not to leave the place no matter what. Alex had did his best to obey and in the end his hunger and deprivation of sleep as well as relieving his bladder made him leave. He wished he had stayed. Right now he preferred that then the scary noises of guns. His uncle had told him guns had the power to take away someone he loved that he wouldn't ever get to see again. Like his mum and dad who died in a plan crash. Even at such a young age he knew what death was, for his uncle had wasted no time in telling him of such a thing. To prepare him, Ian had said. Looking up at the war zone and shutting his eyes once more, Alex wished he didn't see death when he next opened his eyes.

Wolf cocked and loaded his gun as fast as he could and aimed at a shadowed figure beside an oak tree. He took aim and fired, satisfied to see the shadow fall. He nearly got himself blown apart as a gun shot at his head, thankfully missing but dangerously close all the same. He turned and aimed in the direction it came from, his eyes drifting to the shivering boy next to Eagle before he strengthened his determination. He was not going to effin die and let this boy suffer any more than he had originally! He snarled and shot once more, his fighting increasing at full force.

The shooting stopped and Alex slowly opened his eyes amidst the sounds of panting. His brown eyes met with Eagle's and the boy's lower lip wobbled dangerously. He was normally capable of holding himself together like his uncle, but he had just experienced the dangers of a gun for the first time and frankly, it terrified him. Eagle, seeing the boy's distress, picked him up after shaking himself out of his stupor. He slid Alex to ride on his back as he used both hands to check his teammates who were slowly standing up, looking around the forest warily. They had just been assaulted by guns and it brought forth an uneasy reminder that they had to be careful. Someone could have taken Alex's uncle, they finally realized. It only meant Alex could be in danger if they didn't reach the camp soon enough.

After much deliberation the group hurried forth and Wolf stepped over towards the man he had shot earlier, hauling him up and inspecting him. He was dead. Dammit. Eagle was making sure to keep Alex's attention away from the body but it seemed to have been too late. Alex knew the man Wolf was holding was dead and he whimpered and hid his face away. He was too young to know what death was, Wolf reasoned. He hoped Alex's godforsaken uncle didn't expose Alex to such a sin yet. He swore if he had, he'd personally kill the man himself.

"Let's get going," Wolf said stiffly and the soldiers were quiet, moving forward in hopes of reaching the camp soon. The life of one small boy now weighed on their minds as they did however.

**Note: Remember. Reviews make me actually feel like updating this story. Lol studying in between writing the other stories and this one. This is keeping me pretty amused at the very least. Wonder what happened to Ian.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

Alex sighed to himself as he was finally set on his feet. Flinching at the pain soaring through his leg, he eagerly stepped forward, determined not to be carried again like a baby. He didn't seem to convince the soldiers very well judging by their faces, but he ignored them in favor of limping towards a log where they would be camping for the day. He breathed in relief as he slipped his shoes off and wiggled his toes around, giggling when Fox came over and lightly tickled his feet. He leaned against Fox sleepily as he left his shoes off, enjoying the air against his healing left foot. As he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder where his uncle was. Had something happened to Ian? The thought didn't please the four-year-old at all and he immediately sought to think of something else.

"Fox," he said, looking up at the soldier, "How come you're a...a..."

"Soldier?" supplied Fox helpfully. When the little boy nodded, he smiled sadly, "My mother was k- hurt real bad by this ba- er... this mean man and I've always wanted to help people ever since." That wasn't the full truth. But how could you explain to a four year old about the evils of the world? How his mother had been raped and slaughtered by a man who sought to do so for pure pleasure. It was the police who caught the man and Fox had decided at ten years old that he'd be like them and make sure nothing else happened to innocent people like his mum. That had led to him becoming a soldier instead of a cop and from there he joined the air service. Thankfully the answer seemed to satisfy the child who amused himself with watching random things flutter by until...

"Fox, can you tell me a story?" Alex asked before enunciating, "Puh-lease!" The man paused before chuckling and he gently pulled Alex onto his lap, situating the boy until he was comfortable. He allowed a smile to grace his normally hardened or blank face and watched as his teammates paused in their preparing of their dinner and joined them. Eagle was giving a smirk, as if ready to start his interruptions and Fox cleared his throat before beginning. He shot Eagle a look as he started to speak a story that he had once heard when he was sick as a child and his mother read it to him, adding his own little twist to the story for the fun of it.

"Uhm... Once upon a time there was a wood-cutter," he began, "and he told his wife to have his oldest daughter bring him his dinner in the woods." Ignoring Wolf's mutters about the lazy man, he continued as he noticed Alex paying full attention, "Well the oldest daughter... er... Mia, was very pretty and well she got herself -"

"Lost?" supplied Alex helpfully. Fox nodded with lightly ruffled Alex's blond hair. The little boy didn't seem to mind that the woman in the story was lost, in fact he looked pretty content with that fact and that made the man holding him frown slightly. Oh yes, that uncle of Alex's was definitely going to be maimed by K-Unit. Slowly.

"She lost her way and in the night found herself facing an old brick house where an old gray-haired man named... Lupin lived." Here Wolf shot him a strange look, "He had with him a fox, an eagle and a tamed snake." By now the unit was paying attention, wondering what Fox was doing.

"He has a fox?" Alex wondered aloud in awe, "Cool!" Fox smirked a little before he decided to continue.

"Mia asked for shelter but in return the man asked him to cook supper. So she cooked for him and herself before asking for bed. He showed her the upper room and as she slept, he opened a trapdoor that let her down into the basement." Fox said with a smile as Alex frowned, thinking.

"The next day, the middle daughter, Brielle, went to find her sister and was lost, finding the same house and told to cook supper. She cooked for him and herself and as she slept, he sent her into the cellar to join her sister."

"To forever rot?" Wolf muttered sarcastically and Snake shushed him before Alex could hear his words. Wolf smirked at Snake who rolled his eyes and turned back to Fox who had started speaking again.

"On the third day, the wood-cutter sent his youngest daughter to find her sisters and to send him his dinner. The youngest was named Sabrena and when she fount the house she pet the animals and the old man asked her to cook supper. As she cooked, she made herself and the old man supper, but also got a meal for the snake, the eagle and the fox. As she slept upstairs the old man did not send her to join her sisters. But instead, she awoke to find herself in a palace!"

"I like her," Alex said with a smile, "Sabrena. She's a nicer lady than those other two."

"She found herself meeting not the old man, but a kind's son who was enchanted to remain there until there was a woman kind not only to him, but to animals. Sabrena had fed his animals and him as an old man, so she was to be-wed the prince. The prince summoned her parents to the wedding and her sisters were made servants to a charcoal burner until they learned not to leave poor animals to suffer hunger. The prince and Sabrena lived quite happily ever after," finished the man. (1) He looked down to see Alex peacefully asleep, his small hand gripped Fox's thumb loosely as he dreamed.

Fox smiled and maneuvered himself so that Alex could sleep better while Fox turned to his unit. They were all staring at the small boy that Fox was holding, lost in their own thoughts.

"So the morale of the story is?" asked Snake wryly.

"Don't let us starve," Eagle said sarcastically before the four men shared a look and laughed. Even Wolf was chuckling, unable to help the amusement. After they managed to laugh off the tension building at seeing their charge so innocent, they settled down and talked in hushed tones so not to walk the slumbering boy.

"So Sabrena, eh? Got any love confessions there Fox?" Snake said with a smirk at Fox who bristled.

"In my defense I met a woman who has a daughter named that and it was the first thing that popped into my head!" Fox defended.

"What about Mia and Brielle?" Eagle said good-naturally.

"Ex-girlfriends," Fox answered with a smirk. Snake clasped Fox on the back with a shake of his head while Wolf stole glances at Alex every so often, listening to his teammates with a roll of his eyes. Honestly. Eagle had managed to get into an argument with Fox over their own girlfriends who were back at home. The two were bickering quite loudly and Wolf was growing irritated. He opened his mouth to rebuke their loud and childish behavior -

But he never got the chance.

**Author's Note: Buahaha. Cliffhangers. I'll update as soon as I can if reviewers say they reallly want me to. Wonder what stopped Wolf just now. Sorry this took a little longer since I was researching a story to tell in this chapter that might work. The story was tweaked by me for amusement.**

Footnote:

(1) The Hut in the Forest by Brothers Grimm, tale number 169


	5. Chapter 5

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

"DUCK!" roared Wolf as he heard the signs of a bullet and he threw himself to the ground in time to avoid being shot. His body was thrust to the ground harshly, splattering dirt in various directions as he heart the shot make a mark. His unit followed a second later after his shout and they barely managed to avoid another bullet at their heads. Thankfully the bullets had yet to meet their targets. Alex whimpered and Wolf signaled to Fox to keep the young boy safe as they all began to assemble their guns and take positions. Wolf fumbled for his gun and managed to cock and load it before turning and keeping hidden behind the log he had been sitting on, his eyes furiously looking through the wooded area for the shooter. A small spark was seen in his peripheral vision and he immediately started firing, the other side retaliating just as quickly. He heard Eagle shouting behind him but he couldn't hear until he heard a thud and he signaled to the others to cease fire as a figure fell out of a tree.

Cautiously, Wolf approached. He heard Fox lifting Alex up into his arms, the gun still in his hand if the shuffling of metal was any indication. The unit found themselves staring at a groaning man who seemed to have been hit in the arm. Nothing too severe but it was nicked. Wolf quickly kicked away the man's firearms and hauled the man up by his collar.

"Uncle Ian?" Alex's sweet voice rang and Wolf halted and stared incredulously at the man and back at his surprise nephew. Ian's eyes fluttered open immediately and he nearly stopped in shock as he found himself looking at his nephew being carried by an unknown man. The little boy had a bandage around his small and fragile foot, bruises clearly evident on the child's tiny body. Ian's eyes shifted from Alex's happy ones to the miffed and extremely pissed off soldiers in front of him. Adrenaline was leaving his veins as he assessed that he was in no immediate danger. Or at least, by the enemies hand anyways. He wasn't too sure about his safety among these guys. One even looked like he'd be happy to have Ian's head on a platter and delivered to a pack of angry wolves...

"Alex? What are y- How are you?" Ian stumbled and Wolf roughly let go, letting the man regain his balance. He straightened himself up, wincing only minimally when his shoulder spiked with pain at the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Wolf held no pity for the man.

"K-Unit found me and were going to take me to their camp," Alex said with a grin, his innocent smile displaying just how oblivious he was to his uncle's horror at seeing him there. The man was fairly young as an agent and having a nephew to raise himself was still all new to him, so he struggled to hold down the fort of emotions welling up. He was espionage, not a banker.

Ian stepped forward to take Alex from the man holding him but he couldn't with his arm searing in pain. He instead turned to the man who had shot him.

"How did you find my nephew?" Ian asked warily. He eyed the four men cautiously.

"He was injured badly and starving near the river," Wolf growled at the agent, irritation boiling over at the man in front of him.

Ian nodded, deep in thought, before comprehension dawned on him and he turned to Alex quickly, "Alex, did you happen to run into anyone before these guys?" The unit paused as they had never considered this and their concern grew when Alex nodded shyly, his small hand grasping Eagle's shirt. Ian frowned darkly and he realized that his nephew must have had to run from their spot which was why he couldn't find him when he had gone back for Alex earlier. To know Alex had been injured was displeasing and he wanted to reassure his brother's son though how so he did not know.

"We've got to get moving," Ian said seriously to the men who he was able to estimate were soldiers from their uniforms. The men nodded seriously, each planning to maim the man after they got Alex to safety first. Begrudgingly the four told Ian their own names and the man didn't have the decency to announce his even though Alex had blurted it out earlier. All four of them were still displeased at the man's "nurturing" abilities to the four year old and the silence stretched as they began to pack up and Ian followed the unit on the walk. Alex was set down and Eagle held onto the boy's hand as the child did his best to walk alongside the soldier. And if the unit walked slow so Alex could take his time and not think himself a hinder to their travel, no one commented on it.

"Have you encountered anyone before me and after Alex?" Ian questioned what seemed to him to be the team leader who later told him his name was Wolf. The man nodded wearily and watched as Ian let out a curse of profanity in Spanish.

"Why?" Wolf asked, his eyes tracing the pathway in disinterest though he was keeping a look out for anything else ready to bloody shoot at them like everything lately. He was beginning to think this job was insanely unhealthy for his person, though anyone could have told him that. He was 25 but the others were in their early twenties and none of the four planned to leave the SAS yet. They were beginning their training at the current moment and this exercise was one of the many opening crash courses they were given as a test. Hopefully they weren't failing the course.

"Just a mishap I'm dealing with. They're after Alex then," Ian mused aloud and Wolf stopped abruptly to stare at the men.

"They were shooting at us to get to your nephew... because of you?" Wolf answered, glaring immediately when the man didn't rebut his claim and remained impassively silent. The team leader stalked ahead in anger, cursing out the irresponsible man behind him and muttering obscene and sadistic tactics to kill the man. Slowly. With a spoon.

Ian blanched at some of the creative strategies he heard the man utter and he hastily slowed his pace to fall next to Fox and Eagle who were beside his nephew. Neither man welcome him but they weren't as hostile as Wolf... and Snake. He watched his nephew's happy expression as he babbled to Eagle about a boy at his preschool named Tom Harris who didn't seem to like Alex all that well, to the little boy's confusion. He was pretty popular among his peers already and Ian couldn't blame them. The child was charming and could wiggle his way into anyone's heart at his current age. He'd be a heart breaker if he got older, Ian mused. No, he corrected, when he got older. Alex was not a spy like he was and he was making sure of that. He wanted Alex protected as best as possible and if training Alex instead of giving him a childhood worked, then he'd do it. Maybe when they got home he could sign the boy up for karate. It could help him later on in his life...

The man was left to his own thoughts as the training soldiers trudged onwards to the campsite, each man hoping the same thing in different ways.

**Author's Note: This took awhile in between studying. Next week until two weeks later will probably be very long and horrible for me. A test everywhere I look. Exit levels exams, AP exams and even the SAT! Aye aye aye. Anywho, I hope this chapter interested you with Ian making his debut. What's chasing him? *feral grin* a bunch of hating fangirls? Scorpia? Lol only I know the answer of course. Review and I'll hopefully get a new chapter updated sooner or later. Also it'll make sense how Wolf and the others are at the camp during Alex's training in the books later on. I'm doing my best to keep it to the books somehow even though this is years before.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

Night had quickly descended upon the group as quickly as a dog reacted to a stray cat on the roof. Wolf grunted and told them they had no choice but to stop, to Alex's relief. He was in Fox's arms currently, weary from all the walking they had done tonight. Ian watched his nephew as the young boy relaxed against the soldier and curled up against the man. Envy flared up in the young spy as he wished that his nephew relaxed around him like he was currently doing, but Alex had grown wary of setting Ian off. Alex was too much like his father and it pained the man who constantly took it out on his nephew via acting cold and distant. Regret swarmed him like a bee to honey as he sighed and sat down, resting his aching feet.

Alex glanced at his uncle for a moment or two before turning back to giggling as Eagle and Snake got into an argument about who ate the candy bar in Snake's backpack earlier, which Eagle was being accused of. Snake huffed indignantly as Eagle went on to claim that it was a stray animal who must have dug in Snake's bag when they were asleep, only to be rebutted as Fox chimed in that he found a candy wrapper in Eagle's bag, holding up the evidence with a smirk. Wolf grumbled about girlish soldiers and as a result started an amusing argument between the four as they indignantly retorted. Alex was laughing as Fox went on to reveal some of the things that Wolf did which could be questionable to his gender. Of course Wolf shut him up with an easy smack to the back of his head.

"Child in my arms!" squawked Fox, keeping his arms around Alex. Wolf grumbled and left him alone, taking aim at the other two. Ian watched the transactions silently, his eyes still halfway on Alex. Eventually they all nodded off to sleep except for Ian who frowned before he stood up and adjusted himself.

"Sorry guys," Ian murmured as he reached down and swiftly picked Alex up from Fox, imitating the soldier's hold and adjusting Alex onto his hip, the little boy sound asleep as he did so. He stepped over Fox lightly and would have kept going if it weren't for the sound of a gun clicking, the pressure against his back giving away where the gun was positioned.

"Put the kid down," snarled Wolf, "or I'm blowing a hole through your stomach right here and now."

"And if I refuse and you shoot me with my nephew in my arms?" Ian said warily.

"I don't believe for a damn second that he is your nephew." Wolf growled.

"He is," Ian said, turning around slowly and frowning further when Wolf snatched the little boy from him. He felt somewhat empty without holding Alex and he dropped his hands to his sides. Alex yawned in his sleep and simply burrowed against Wolf's neck, his hands fisting the shirt. Ian wanted to steal the boy back, but he was treading on rocky waters right now with the annoyed soldier in front of him whose voice had awoken the other men. He sighed and watched darkly as Wolf handed Alex over to Snake and turned his gun back to him, poking him in the forehead with it dangerously.

"Why'd you try to run off with him while we were asleep then?" questioned Eagle after hearing what had taken place.

"I don't trust you lot," snapped Ian, his patience wearing thin. The unit was silent for a moment before Wolf scowled.

"You've hardly given us anything to let us know we can trust you," Wolf retorted.

"Well besides the fact that my nephew said my name before you tried to kill me?" Ian asked sarcastically, "Oh yeah, I can see the lack of proof here."

"You could have just taken on his appearance," pointed out Eagle.

"Well suck it up because I'm Ian Rider and the kid over there is my nephew," Ian said heatedly after that, knowing he couldn't find any proof he _was_ Ian because these guys didn't even know him. This was getting annoying. Unfortunately, Alex chose that moment to stir awake due to the noise level of the men. He blinked blearily before wondering why everyone was up and it was barely even morning! He wriggled against Snake who set him on his feet and the four year old yawned before he rubbed his eyes to wake himself up more. Eventually his brain began to kick and he was wide awake as he took in the gun planted against his uncle's face.

"Uncle Ian? Wolf?" Alex said curiously, "Why's Wolf got a gun on you Ian?"

Ian had flinched at the uncle part to Snake's curiosity as Alex went over to them only to be picked up by Fox and held there despite the boy's wriggling. Alex whined and kicked but Fox didn't budge, upsetting the pre-schooler at his lack of compliance. The boy eventually tired himself out and remained in Fox's arms, wanting to see his uncle and know why Wolf was pointing the gun at Ian. He had seen Wolf kill a guy with it before... Was he going to kill Ian? Alarm bells rang in the child's head as he struggled anew, succeeding in Fox dropping him. He didn't account on landing on his foot harshly and he cried out in pain, sobbing as it hurt to even move it. Snake rushed to his side immediately and picked him up, cradling him gently and shushing him.

"H-hurts," hiccuped Alex, unable to stop himself. He had already hurt it earlier but this felt different. This one _hurt_ worse. He cried and thrashed as Snake gently moved his leg. Fox knelt down next to them and did his best to distract Alex as Snake examined his foot. The little boy whimpered as Ian and Wolf stood off to the side, neither willing to back down to the other to move, though both wanting to get to Alex.

"The fall was too much on his already twisted ankle. It's broken now," Snake tsked as he gently removed his kit and began to bandage the foot, leaving off the shoes Alex had been wearing. Alex sniffed, having never broken a bone before and the thought was more terrifying than anything he'd experienced on this wayward trip. He just wanted to go home.

"B-broken?" repeated Alex, "Does that mean forever?"

"No kiddo, it just means it's hurt," Fox assured, "It'll get better soon. Promise."

"Promise promise?" Alex asked, rubbing his teary eyes.

"Promise promise," Fox laughed, ruffling the boy's hair and evoking a small watery smile in return. Snake finished bandaging up the boy's foot and stood up with the boy in his arms like an infant. Normally he'd hold the boy on his hip, but Alex looked like he could use the comfort right now especially after the fall. Fox was pretty tall as it was and Alex was scrawny and small. The soldiers turned serious eyes onto their leader and the man claiming to be the crying boy's uncle.

"Look," Ian finally said, "you don't have to trust me right now, but Alex _is_ my nephew and I'm not giving him up without a damn good fight."

"I believe you," Fox said tiredly, "but you better be aware that we aren't going to let you take off with the kid on a whim. We've still got to get to base and find whoever shot at us. You're also still wounded with Wolf's gun shot so taking off with Alex was a dumb move." Ian flushed, having been ignoring the pain in shoulder in favor of watching his nephew. Nothing was said as the group packed up their items and Snake passed Alex to Wolf who held the boy as best as he could, talking to the boy in a low murmur which seemed to cheer Alex up, whatever he said, as the boy began giggling again though he occasionally sniffled and hiccuped from his waterworks earlier.

"C'mon," Eagle said with a 'cheerful' grin, "We're almost to base."

**Author's Note: So I thought it'd be fun to have Ian and Wolf fight and then Alex had that happen to him. Poor little guy. Sorry for the lack of updating. Finished my exams the other day! My dog had to be put down last week so I haven't been writing for a little bit. I'm back on my feet now and I hope this story is amusing you all. **


	7. Chapter 7

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

**Note: Sorry this was so slow in updating lately. School just got out so I have a lot more time finally.**

"Spiderman all the way," argued Eagle to Alex who poked his tongue out at the man and burrowed his head into Snake's shoulder, enticing his carrier to his side of the argument. Snake bit his cheek to keep from laughing out loud at Eagle's scowl. The little boy he was holding onto was manipulative, that was for sure. He definitely knew how to get what he wanted if he tried hard enough and Snake was witnessing it without being the target... yet. He had no desire to become a victim like Eagle.

Wolf and Ian were glaring at each other as the group walked, Wolf's gun holstered at last after much sobbing from the pained little boy who had broken his ankle from the fall coupled with the previous damage it had sustained. Fox was snickering at Eagle's demise and playing referee whenever one of the two dominant men snapped at each other. Namely they were shooting rapid insults. Wolf taunting Ian about his horrible parenting skills and Ian jibing Wolf with insults about his leadership skills. Neither were very willing to back down it seemed. Fox sighed as Ian spouted off yet another harsh comment, only earning rapid retorts from the team leader of K-Unit faster than Fox could even bother to keep up.

He was praying that he didn't have to pick up bits and pieces of both men when he heard Alex's surprised yelp as their attention was drawn to what he noticed. Fox blinked.

A street light.

Comprehension dawned on Fox and he hurried his footsteps, absently noticing others were doing the same thing. His frown split into a wide grin as he realized where he was, spotting the bold "Who Dares Win" motto inscribed onto the light post that they neared. Alex and Ian looked confused as to the significance of the post before Ian's lit up in realization while Alex simply asked Snake what it meant, getting an answer second later, making him cheer.

"We made it!" cheered Eagle, "Never thought I'd hear myself say I missed the barmy old place."

"Don't let Sarge hear you say that," snickered Snake.

"Ears like a wolf," Eagle shuddered before he grinned at the offended Wolf.

"What's wrong with having ears like a wolf?" he questioned making the unit laugh.

"They're the worst kind of animal there is," Eagle said cheekily and he yelped as Wolf threw a cantine at his head. The unit laughed only to halt as they heard footsteps. Adjusting into an appropriate position and keeping their four-year-old charge hidden from view, they waited, only to somewhat relax as a soldier stumbled upon them.

"K-Unit?" the man asked in surprise, "You're back early."

"We are?" Eagle questioned, "I thought we were due back in three days at 1800."

"Weird..." muttered the man with something akin to confusion in his voice, "Sarge told us it'd be four days."

"Must've had the information switched there Jackal," Wolf said dismissively, "Can you take us to Sarge?"

It was twenty minutes later of walking when K-Unit plus the two extras found themselves in the Sarge's office. The four soldiers stood at attention until the Sarge released their stance and then he turned to the two in front of him, ignoring the unit for a moment. The two blonds in front of him said nothing. Ian was stiff and quiet, remembering the years his elder brother was a commander here and he had no desire to find out what it was like as a soldier. Alex, on the other hand, was squirming on Ian's lap, his boredom raised a few notches as nothing was said until...

"Pray tell, men, but why am I being acquainted with Agent Rider and a child?" the man barked.

"A-Agent Rider!" Wolf stumbled.

"MI6 had me on a mission on the borders of your camp sir," spoke up Ian, "and this child is my nephew."

"They let a child accompany you on a mission?" asked Eagle incredulously and the Sarge did not rebuke the man's outrage. He was miffed at MI6's careless antics as well. Alex blinked at what was being spoken and Ian had no desire to let the boy figure out what Agent Rider meant. He carefully shifted the boy off his lap and quietly requested Fox to take the boy out of the room. Fox sighed but did as was said after the Sarge gave him an affirmative look. He took the boy into his arms, mindful of the injury, and took him to the Hospital Wing. Might as well get the lad's ankle in a proper cast.

The boy was quiet as a rough looking doctor gently set his leg in the proper position and began to build the cast around it, doing his best to ease the boy. Fox reassured Alex's small sniffles of pain and whimpers as the boy saw his battered leg cleaned up from the wildlife results and hid away in an itchy cast.

"Hurts," Alex said to Fox who lifted the boy up as the doctor finished.

"I know kiddo. It'll get better soon." he assured him.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Promise Promise?" the boy asked with a frown. Fox laughed and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Promise Promise. Now let's go see if your Uncle and the others are done," Fox said with a grin as the little boy settled against him and he carried the boy to the office area where the unit was just walking out with Ian nowhere in sight.

"Where's Rider?" Fox asked with a frown. No one answered him and all three looked equally disgruntled and furious. Wolf stalked off while Snake and Eagle came over to him, Snake playfully making comments about the strong cast with the four-year-old he was holding and Eagle remaining silent, to his surprise. It wasn't until they were back in their hut that Wolf rejoined them and explained while Snake left with Alex to get the boy cleaned up since his cast would be a problem. It seemed Ian Rider was a spy for MI6 and had been on a mission in Whales for the better part of a few days until he had run into trouble four days ago, fleeing from his nephew and getting held captive for the better part of a day. Having left, he sought his nephew out and couldn't find him, leading him to think K-Unit was the enemy since they had the child. The group who shot at Wolf was the one who kidnapped Ian named Scorpius or something like that. Wolf really hadn't been paying attention to the name. Ian had debriefed them before abruptly telling the Sarge he was going back out on his mission and for them to watch over the boy until he returned since it seemed K-Unit was more than capable of doing so.

"So we're babysitting a four-year-old at SAS camp?" Fox asked incredulously.

"Looks like it." Eagle sighed.

**Author's Note: Hey y'all (total Texan accent in real life) so the story has a few chapters left BUT I might continue on to the ending of Ian's mission with K-Unit helping only if I get some ideas as to what kind of mission it should be. I have a bit of a clue as what I can make, but I'm not too great on that tidbit. Soooo review your ideas to me please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

In England, it was anywhere and everywhere. In Wales, it was secluded and solitude. In Brecon Beacons, it was hell. It being life.

Alex woke up to someone hollering at others, disrupting his sleep and somewhat making him cranky. He opened his eyes to see a large guy yelling at Wolf for some reason, confusing his sleep deprived mind. He felt Fox shift beside him before he was lifted up and settled on Fox's lap. The man finally stopped yelling and left, slamming the door while Wolf growled and grumbled about the insanity of said man before his attention was diverted to Alex who was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, frowning.

"Sorry kid," Wolf grunted, "that was our wake up call, Tiger. As loud as his name I tell yah."

"You're just bitter because he stole your girlfriend when you two were in high school," Eagle nearly sang, yelping as Wolf kicked him in the knee while Fox snorted.

"I thought you guys didn't know each other before this?" Alex asked curiously.

"We don't, but we let slip some things about our lives occasionally," Eagle explained, rubbing his abused shin with a glare to Wolf who ignored him in favor of pulling his uniform shirt on. Fox set Alex back on the bed in favor of following Wolf's moves and the four men set about getting dressed while Alex amused himself by kicking his good leg around.

"The Sarge couldn't find anything for a child his small size could wear that was our uniform, so we just got a pair of clothes from the kit that we keep in case we stumble across a hurt child on a mission," Snake said as he held up a pair of black stretchy elastic shorts and a red T-shirt to go with, followed by shoes. Snake helped Alex wiggle out of the large army T-shirt that he had had Alex use as a night gown and into the clothing suitable for him. Alex felt a lot better after finally wearing clothes that fit him again and he smiled happily, thanking Snake as the man got a shoe on his good foot, though they had to leave it off his injured one.

"Right, I think we're ready to rumble," Snake stated as Alex was lifted into his arms and the unit walked towards the mess hall to face their first obstacle of the day. Alex would be introduced today during breakfast and hopefully the units didn't react badly to the presence of a four-year-old child. An injured one at that.

"Alright men!" barked the Sarge as soon as K-Unit's leader walked into the mess hall, "We have a visitor for an unknown length of time. Anyone seen even so much as touching this visitor will spend a week in solitary confinement, anyone even so much as lay a hand on him with mal-intentions, will be binned automatically. Is. That. Clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" rang out of the 'cafeteria' only for the area to turn deadly silent when a small boy of four was carried inside by K-Unit, a cast on his foot and his arm with band aids on it. The kid had clearly been hurt, but how they couldn't tell.

The unit made it through lunch after intense staring and whispering, until finally Wolf had had enough and barked at everyone to stop acting 'like a bunch of prissy sex-driven teenage girls on their time of the month' which effectively shut the indignant men up and the staring to cease. Alex was currently sitting on the ledge of the table set up at the shooting range, giggling as Eagle tickled him and joked around with the boy. Fox and Snake were setting up their guns for practice while Wolf was already at it, firing bullets left and right. Alex stopped giggling in favor of looking over at the range Wolf was at, his eyes growing impossibly wide with wonder as Wolf shot.

"Cool!" Alex chimed, giving his approval via clapping. Wolf's lips twitched slightly, scaring some of the newcomers who had joined them. Wolf smiling had never seemed real and to see him do so for a child was rather frightening. The other men set about to practicing their own shooting while Wolf finished and lifted the child up onto his hips, smiling again when Alex reached up to stab him in the cheek with the stick he had found. The boy was certainly happy-go-lucky now that his life wasn't in danger and so long as that damn man called Alex's uncle stayed away, Wolf was perfectly fine.

"Ready for a weapons lecture?" Wolf asked the little boy and was rewarded with a curious look while the rest of his unit joined them. Wolf passed Alex to Snake who answered what the weapons lecture was about and that it'd be best if Alex didn't try anything at home out of their supervision. Alex was quick to agree, ever the one to please they noticed.

The lecture ended up lasting an hour and the instructor had shot quite a few looks at the young lad who was making "ooo"es and "ahhh"es when he showed a new weapon. It made the man uncomfortable to have them out in front of a small child but he quickly finished and dismissed the men. Alex grinned and dissolved into laughter when Fox picked him up and turned the boy's body lying on his hand, imitating an airplane. The other soldiers looked at K-Unit in surprise. They were well-known for their hard-ass attitudes and to see this small child turn them into seasonal fathers was rather disturbing.

Wolf and Eagle had to split from Snake and Fox for a different training exercise and Alex was left with Snake seeing as the man wanted to keep an eye on the boy's leg. Alex sat on the grass and played with the green blades of nature as he watched his two friends climb something the Sarge called the assault course. He giggled as Fox heaved Snake over and you could clearly see he was saying something along the lines of Snake losing weight, if Snake's indignant face was any indication. Alex smiled happily, content with things the way they were as any four year old would when it came to adapting to new situations.

_Click. _

"Don't move," a cold voice said behind Alex as something was pressed up against Alex's back. The boy's eyes bulged and he stiffened. He could see Fox and Snake but they were distracted by the course work and the other soldiers didn't seem to notice. The object pressed further into his back and Alex could feel the soon to be familiar item. It was a gun.

"Alex Rider," the unknown person purred, "you're mine."

**Author's Note: Short cliffhanger but it's effective ain't it. I think this is the last segment of the adventure for little Alex. I'm still debating on whether or not to create the ending with Stormbreaker. If I choose after all the Alex Rider series, I'm going to take Inside Lingo and turn that into the actual sequel, continuing onto it. Your choice. Stormbreaker SAS is going to be shown at one point or another. Review please! I had some great ideas from you guys.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

He tried to make a scream. Anything to gain their attention but his hope was dashed when a hand slapped over his mouth, muffling the screams, and he was swiftly scooped up into the person's arms, held tightly enough that he could hardly even more. Silenced and trapped, Alex could only watch with wide brown eyes as the man holding him turned and ran in the direction of the forest, a place he'd been trapped in for days with K-Unit already and had no desire to see again. The four-year-old fearfully tried to call out but nothing could get past the hand holding his words back. Tears formed in his eyes as he became frightened once they were consumed by the shady darkness of the Brecon Beacons forest.

The man was running for what felt like hours before they made it to a car of some sort. Alex wasn't too good with telling cars apart yet but he knew it was a van-like one. The man shoved him into the back and began to tie Alex up, duct-taping the boy's mouth instantly. He smirked at the terrified pre-schooler and attached the rope trapping Alex to a seat to keep him there. He got into the front seat and began to dial someone.

"We got him," the man was saying and Alex wondered if the man meant him. How was he going to get out of this? He was only four so anything requiring strength was nullified. There wasn't anything in the back that would be able to help him either. Basically he was helpless and that didn't sit too well with the boy as he stayed stuck on the floor. Wait... floor? Alex blinked and peered around the tiny van before he spotted a piece of small glass sticking up from the van floor, possibly from some other purpose. Scooting on his bottom and heels towards it, he did his best to turn around and fumbled for it before feeling his hand slightly take hold of it with his fingers.

"Alright, I'll be waiting boss," the man continued talking, not seeing the child as Alex clumsily began sawing at his rope, the tape luckily muffling his sobs as he stabbed himself with it a few times. Finally Alex felt the pressure of the robes released and realized the glass had actually cut into the robe, setting him free. Thank god the chipped piece of glass had been there.

He immediately set about working on his feet and wiggled his toes at the freedom, slowly withdrawing the tape from his mouth and biting his lip to the point it was bleeding as he tried to shut up his protest of pain. Triumphant, he wondered how best to escape when his eyes saw something in a box of the passenger seat. Peaking at it. His eyes widened at the object he'd only seen on movies his uncle let him watch occasionally_... it was a bomb._

**Meanwhile at camp...**

"Dammit! He has to be around here somewhere?" Wolf growled dangerously. K-Unit had now regrouped and were met with three other units and the Sarge. Snake and Fox had come back to the spot they'd left the child only to find one of the boy's shoes and no Alex. Upon further evaluation, they were able to follow tracks from that point into the woods where they lost him soon after. They had been assigned this sudden search and rescue and the unit prayed that there was a rescue part to this. They hadn't realized it but that small child had wormed his way into their hearts so much deeper than any of their own family members even.

They spewed over the map for several minutes before they finally started to further their search. Wolf and Snake were the ones to head west, Fox and Eagle heading east. Through crunching twigs and dead leaves, the team began to become desperate as they saw no sign of the tiny little boy who'd been stolen right from under their noses.

"What if we don't find Alex?" Eagle was whispering to Fox.

"Shhh!" shushed Fox and Eagle's attention was brought over to a van parked in the forest, no lights or anything. Fox radioed Snake and Wolf who silently made their way towards the group.

"I bet you anything our little guy is in there," Snake whispered. They shared a glance, nodding to one another, before they began to tread over to the mysterious van when suddenly a man stepped out of it, talking to someone on the phone. Wolf caught words like "child", "ransom", and "revenge" before his eyes widened. Alex was being used as bait for Ian Rider! That lousy 'uncle' was in deep trouble with Wolf and he growled to himself. Ian Rider would wish he was never born when Wolf got through with him. The no good prat. His attention was drawn to the fact that the man had finally hung up and smirking at the van before he walked off, saying words that the unit realized would mean a lot more to them than ever before.

"Goodbye kid. Nice knowing yah."

"Shit shit shit!" Wolf cursed and they hurried amongst the branches when -

BOOM!

"NOOOO!" Wolf roared, furious, when he and his team were brutally shoved from the sight of the crash by the flames, the explosion licking up the forest quickly. They could hear a scream penetrating their senses and they recognized it as Alex's.

"Get out of here!" barked Wolf to his team and though they were stricken with horror, they ran form the fire and back to the camp, keeping an eye out for the mysterious man. It wasn't until the flames had been diminished and the soldiers returned did they search desperately for the little boy who'd been through more than anyone had ever seen.

He had to be here somewhere. Probably playing in a tree, Wolf rationalized but he couldn't escape reality when he found a shoe next to blood on an oak tree.

"Oh god," Wolf choked as he saw it, "Alex."

He fell to his knees. He had failed an innocent child. A boy had died. How could he even be a soldier when a civilian had been killed right before him and he had done nothing to prevent it! The usually stone-hearted man felt shattered as his team joined him, each choking and furious with themselves. It had been from this incident that they would bicker for ten years, constantly returning to the camp for training because of their ongoing scarring from this moment. It had been from this that they began to hate MI6 and anything to do with them, especially one Ian Rider for involving his nephew in the world for espionage at the tender age of four.

**Earlier back in the van...**

'Gotta get out of here,' the four-year-old screamed to himself in his head before he quickly shuffled over to the door and he noticed, happily might he add, that the door was unlocked from the inside. Yes! Obviously the man thought the child was unable to even undo his binds, thus providing the luck to the preschooler as Alex jiggled the door handle and, making sure the man was still on the phone and NOT glancing in the rear view mirror, opened the door a jar and snuck out of it. Freedom! Remembering his uncles old advice about leaving a door open, he shut it as silently as a four-year-old could, before he snuck over to hide in the bushes via crawling on his hands and knees since his leg hurt too much.

Curiosity stole the boy's logic as he sat in the bushes a little ways from the van, watching silently until at long last the man had gotten out. He whispered something Alex couldn't hear and he strained to listen when suddenly he saw nothing but red and blackness covering him like bubble bath on overload. He was flying through the darkness and he screamed loudly as he was pushed brutally through the air until he cried when his head slammed into something, probably a tree, and he knew no more...

**Author's Note: Here's the reward for so many reviews. The story had probably two or three more chapters left and this one was the big ole climax. Yup Alex was in an explosion. Hehe. Does he survive? Will this turn into an AU? Review and you'll find out soon enough!**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Little Soldier**

**by Kiamii**

A steady beeping awoke him first. He also heard muffled voices before brown eyes slowly began to open and suddenly the voices stopped, Alex Rider's vision clearing until he found himself facing Ian Rider, his uncle and neglectful ways. The four-year-old blinked wearily before he attempted to sit up only to be pushed back onto his back.

"Calm kid," Ian ordered, "you just got through one hell of a fight."

"What happened Uncle Ian? Aren't we supposed to go camping today?" Alex asked in a daze. Ian blinked in confusion. What the hell?

"Alex... what's the last thing you remember?" he asked warily.

"You promised you were going to take me camping in Wales!" Alex said, upset that he possibly missed his camping trip that he wanted to go on.

"You were in an ex-... accident on the way there," Ian lied and thus began a lifetime of lying. Ian had always been partially honest with Alex and the child had once known he was a spy but hadn't grasped it before when he discovered during the trip. The doctors discovered Alex's memory was blocking everything from the moment Ian headed to Wales to the explosion. Nothing was there anymore and they weren't sure he'd ever gain his memory of that week back. Alex no longer even remembered the men or finding out his uncle was a spy. The explosion had crashed Alex's head right into a tree and Ian had been the one to find him as he had been chasing the man who kidnapped his nephew.

There had been a Scorpia member in SAS and Ian had been on the lookout for him, finally discovering the man codenamed Lynx moments before Alex was taken from the camp. He had rescued his nephew and brought him to a hospital nearby. The child had undergone a coma for three days before finally waking, revealing his amnesia. Ian from then on told Alex he was a banker, like he had before, only he had stopped taking Alex on trips with him. It was two years later when Ian hired a babysitter by the name of Jack. Alex never recovered his memory of that week and Jack was none the wiser of it.

Wolf had never forgiven himself for letting Alex be taken. K-Unit had been given R&R for a week back at their own homes for the trauma. Normally a child's death wasn't that hard of a hit to a soldier, but they'd been fighting for the boy for a week and witnessing the explosion itself had changed the men.

Therefore, when years later they were in Iraq, an explosion had set the men into flashbacks. They were forced to return to the camp for recovery and re-training, the team semi-falling apart. The Sarge had thought to send them their newest objective. Cub. 14-year-old blond boy from MI6. Wolf had gaped at the Sarge, boiling when the man told him they were in charge of Cub because they'd handled Alex. That was a bunch of bull. They'd failed that kid! Well Wolf certainly didn't plan to screw with another kid's life. He was going to see to it that this boy got out of this camp alive, unlike Alex.

Yet when he'd found himself face to face with the handsome blond child, old memories of the four year old sprang to his mind. Cub looked like Alex. Too much like him. Anger coursed through the soldier fast and he'd shoved Cub against the wall, promising him a living hell. It was too late to change that move. He'd begun to disrespect Cub immensely. All because the kid reminded him of Alex. In looks only though. He had ignored and insulted the teenager too much to get to know him. Fox and Snake were the quietest in the action against Cub, but Eagle would protest their cruel behavior when Cub was out of the room. They were cold, ruthless men to him for a fortnight.

It wasn't until Wolf found himself watching the boy skateboard down a hill on an ironing board that he realized what Jones had called Cub. Alex.

MI6... Alex.

God, Cub was Alex.

He'd treated the boy like scum. Like he wasn't worth living for. What the hell had he done? But it wasn't his fault. Wolf had once tried to talk to Cub, before the boy left. He'd casually mentioned a time he'd found a small child in the woods and lost him in an explosion. There had been no recognition. How could he be their Alex from those many years ago? The boy hadn't recognized them at all! Wolf decided then and there that he needed to talk to his unit. They were all seperated after Cub's departure, sent to different aspects and missions and they weren't due to go back to being a team for a few months, hopefully Wolf could get a hold of them soon...

When he did, it was to discover even worst truth than before. They were currently at Snake's place, lounging in his chair and chatting about nothing at first, then their lives after leaving one another, and then it moved onto Cub. It had been almost a year before Wolf could find his teammates and finally get them back together as K-Unit, and even then Eagle had been planning to leave the SAS. The war zone in Iraq had done a number on the normally happy go lucky soldier, so it was understandable, though they wished he didn't. Fox, he discovered, had been removed from the SAS and pulled into the MI6, sent to the ASIS temporarily where he did a mission with the one and only Alex Rider.

"I've got something to tell you guys," Fox said with a frown, "Cub was Alex. The kid we found all those years ago."

"I know," Wolf said, drawing their attention, "he'd told me his name in that Point Blanc mission but I hadn't connected the dots until now. Why didn't he tell us?"

"Amnesia," Fox responded, "Jones finally revealed to me that Alex had hit his head in the explosion, resulting in memory loss though she suspects he might one day recover the memories if pressed enough. His uncle never tried."

"Shouldn't our presence have jogged his memory?" Eagle asked with a thoughtful frown, sitting on the couch in Snake's living room. The owner of the house was currently sitting on the recliner, his own thoughts with him.

"Wasn't enough apparently," Fox said with a shake of his head, "that no good uncle of his had just died when he'd been sent to us. He wouldn't have recognized a hippo with that sort of trauma. He's only fourteen too."

"Crap," Wolf cursed, "and I thought Cub had been 17 at least. God I was a jerk."

"We all were," Snake countered, "but we could make it up to him you know."

"How?" asked Fox.

_"Find him."_

**Author's Note: This is the end to The Little Soldier. Look for one last chapter on "Inside Lingo" as a sequel to this story! If you guys review lots on it, I might just continue on that story with a little present. **


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